HIGH and Mighty Coventry Blaze look like they are now in a two-horse race for the league title after securing another four point weekend.

The two home wins, one an anticipated victory over a very weak Cardiff side, the other a solid performance against Edinburgh, kept Blaze in the chase behind Dundee Stars.

With Fife Flyers losing twice, including a shock 5-3 home defeat to Slough Jets, who were without several top players, it would appear that Coventry are going to be the only team to challenge Dundee.

Blaze coach Paul Thompson said: "They were two ugly games. We played against a spirited bunch from Cardiff but we had more strength, experience and skill.

"Against Edinburgh we didn't dominate. That was by no means a vintage performance, and if it wasn't for Ian Burt making three or four huge saves we could have been in trouble.

"But it's about results, and I'm pleased that we won."

Coventry Blaze 9 Cardiff Devils 0

STRUGGLING Cardiff failed to register even a penalty as they were overwhelmed and only the exertions of netminder Jason Crossland stopped the game running into double figures.

Mindful of the fact that they struggled to beat the Devils 3-1 in Cardiff the week before, Blaze set about building an early lead that would leave the result in no doubt.

The second line, which has been on fire lately, struck first, with Steve Roberts and Claude Dumas combining to set up Shaun Johnson.

A deflected blue line shot from Steve Carpenter put Coventry two up in the 10th minute, and Dumas scored the goal of the evening by going round four players before flipping the puck over Crossland for the third.

Even when on the powerplay Cardiff were not able to get any shots in, and finished with just eight attempts on goal all night.

Roberts scored after receiving the puck from a face-off in the Cardiff, and former Devil Stephen Cooper fired home with a one-timer from the blue line at 30.26.

Poor finishing from Blaze and some good work by Crossland kept the game scoreless for the next 20 minutes until Michael Tasker clipped home Coventry's sixth.

Dumas flipped in his second, Roberts finished off a build-up from his line mates and Kurt Irvine snaffled a rebound from a Shaun Yardley shot to complete Cardiff's misery.